


A Date I Can't Escape

by AndelynKinsey



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Set in Hyrule, Sexual Content, Some Lore and History built in, at times - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-25 23:07:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14389017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndelynKinsey/pseuds/AndelynKinsey
Summary: Link suffers from a mysterious condition that causes him to travel through time, with no control over his destination or length of his stay.  Though he is always prepared for a change, nothing changes him more than a chance meeting with the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, who knows and loves him on sight.  Unable to deny the connection between them, Link and Zelda begin to navigate both the complexities of love and attempt to learn the reasons for their bind and why they are forced to remain perpetually out of sync.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a very loose adaptation of the Time Travelers Wife, pulling plot lines from the film and book (as they are different in some aspects) but with Legend of Zelda Characters Link and Zelda. There will be canon divergence as it’s an alternate universe, but I’m trying to pull in a few lore based elements for fun and as a world building exercise for myself. Takes place in the child timeline, but for plot purposes, after his adventures in Termina, Link has lost any memory of meeting Zelda in addition to all of his early adolescence. 
> 
> Title was taken from a line in the song Way Out There by Lord Huron. Will update bi-weekly.

_{47 Faron, Hylian Calendar 1716.  Link of Kokiri age 5}  
_

* * *

A lone horse walked along the edge of the mountains, hooves soft in the grass, worn saddle rocking its two riders side to side.  The boy was in front, cradled in his mother’s arms as she held the reins.  She did not steer, for this horse knew too well the path they took.  Village to village, wandering the countryside, finding shelter, food, and warmth wherever they could.  Never staying in one place too long due to the fighting.  

It was spring now and the air during the day was warm and sweet with life, but the night air often turned still and cold.  Mother and child were wrapped in cloaks, bundled together despite the closeness of sharing a saddle.  The boy’s mother sang quietly as they rode, causing the little one’s eyes to droop as he rested against her chest.

“Oh, hear the forest and how it sings, find peace in all things alive and green, listen closely now as the sweet birds call, light and love from spring through fall.”

“For the trees are her temple, the greenery her shrine, every leaf and petal, every twig and vine,” he murmured quietly, head tucked against his mother’s chest.

“Life flows from the wood, forthcoming and before, from the gracious hands of courageous Farore,” mother and child finished in unison.  She smiled down at her son but the boy frowned.  

“I can’t sing.”

“That was fine, Link.”

“I can’t sing like you.”

“You aren’t meant to sing like me, you’re meant to sing like you. I love your voice,” she consoled.

“Singing makes me sleepy,” he said with a yawn.   “How much further?”

“Just to the village,” she sighed, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.  “Hopefully we will be able to rest for a few days.”

Link nodded, they’d been riding since sunrise after an attack by a group of Gerudo bandits set the small encampment they’d been in on fire.  Rumor on the road was the Gorons had declared for the King, forfeiting their sovereignty and allowing Death Mountain to be absorbed into the Kingdom of Hyrule.  This had enraged the Zora, who had a king of their own, and the Gerudo who had a Prince about to come of age, the first in a century, and the fighting started anew.

The war between the races had been raging since Link’s mother was a child, since his grandfather had been a child.  That was what she told him.  At first it had been between tribes of Hylians, but the King had called upon them to remember their heritage, their tie to the goddess Hylia, and how she bid them to leave in peace with one another.  While this had swayed the Hylians to give up their individual leaders in favor of a single monarch, the King’s assertions did not convince Hylia’s other creatures so easily.   Nothing he suggested seemed to change their beliefs so the war raged on in spring, summer, fall and winter.  In the rain and snow, sunshine or cloudy skies...

Even in the dark of night.

The boy Link heard the arrow before he saw it, the twang of a bow, then a flurry of motion in front of the horse’s head.  She knickered and reared back, stirring him fully awake.  Link’s mother was instantly tense on the reins.

“Keep your head down, Link.  And hold tight,” she ordered before kicking the horse into a fierce gallop.  

Flames erupted across the field as the Zora lit their torches and began their assault on the mountain, unsurprised by the arrival of Gorons shielding Hylian soldiers in shining silver armor.  Amidst orders of Charge! and shouts of For Hyrule! another person was shouting Unarmed woman and child!  Hold fire!  But their voice was lost to the cacophony of battle cries echoing through the night air.  

The boy Link felt sick with fear, a dull ache settling in the pit of his stomach, his mind longing to out of the night and into the day.  Somewhere safe, somewhere far away.  Pins and needles settled into his hands and feet and he looked at them in confusion.

“Mama?” he gasped, alarmed by the sight of his fingers fading, blackening and disappearing into the night sky.  “ _Mama_?”

His mother looked down, shining blue eyes widening at the sight of fingerless hands, then handless wrists.  Link stared at her, at the horror in her eyes.  She pulled the horse to a sudden halt.  There was a lurch in Link’s stomach, a twinkle of light inside his chest, a snap in the universe in which he existed and -

“... The hero lifted his sword skyward, his sacred blade glowing with starlight, shining bright as it sealed the dark soul of the demon king away.  Once finished, he was brought back to the plane where his Goddess waited for him, back through time and space, and together they locked the sacred realm, the Sword that Seals the Darkness being the only key.  Should the evil return, the soul of the hero will rise again, and it is only he who can wield the sacred blade…”

Link was shaking, staring mystified at his mother sitting by the fire.  He was outside the tent, yet he was… inside the tent, curled up against his mother listening to Kaepora tell his favorite story, one he claimed was passed down through generations and generations of Hylians.  The Link inside the tent grinned and leaned closer to the fire, turning a meat skewer so it roasted evenly while he watched from outside.

He  _watched_ from outside...

Link looked down, shocked to see himself naked, and bewildered because the last time he’d seen Kaepora had been a fortnight ago when they ran across each other south of Castle Town.  Kaepora never failed to offer Link’s mother food and a place in his tent for a few nights before they had to move on.  He was fond of her, and fond of Link; the closest thing to a father he knew.  Link peered into the tent, longing to be inside and in his mother’s arms.  But he was in her arms.  It seemed like a dream, an impossible dream… there was no explanation for what he was seeing.

Link pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, trembling and frightened as tension returned to his belly and the tingle started again in his fingers.  For a moment it felt as though he was falling asleep, the sensation of numbness working its way through his limbs…

He awoke back in the field, arrows raining down around him, shouts of war echoing off the cliff walls. Link panicked and whirled around, still naked and freezing as he searched desperately for his mother, trying all the while to shield himself from the fires around him and arrows in the sky.  He finally heard her screaming his name into the night air.

“Link?!” she shouted, frantically grasping at the air in front of her before dismounting. “LINK?!”  

Link started to run in her direction, but was snatched around the waist by a pair of strong arms.  Above him a hail of arrows sailed through the sky.  His mother’s horse squealed, and she shrieked, then both horse and rider sank limply to the ground.

“Mama!” he screamed, fighting against the arms holding him back.  “ _No, Mama_!”

“Link, you can’t help!”

“ _Mama_!”

“ _LINK_! There’s nothing you can do, we must go now!”

He turned to see a man by his side, pulling a long red cape around Link’s shoulders.  He was wearing nothing but a traveling cloak and worn trousers, no shoes or tunic to keep him warm.  Before Link could react the man scooped him up and began racing towards a cluster of trees.  Link clutched his broad shoulders, staring behind him at his mother’s prone figure on the ground.  Soldiers were crowding around it, shouting for a cease fire, one of them screaming about the child they’d seen her with.

“Link, I don’t have much time. You must listen to me,” the man panted as he ran.  Link turned to face him, noting his eyes were a deep blue and his golden hair looked strangely familiar.  The man ducked behind a tree and set him on his feet, holding his shoulders to keep Link’s attention.

“You were traveling with your mother when the fighting broke out. An arrow went by the horse and you started to gallop.  Then you were back outside of Castle Town, watching yourself in the tent with Kaepora telling you the story of the Sky Children,” he said quickly. Link’s eyes widened, and the man stared back into them, a solemn expression on his face.

“You time traveled, Link, just as I did to come see you now,” he explained.  “I’m you, Link.  Do you understand?  I am you when you are much older.  We’re the same person.”

Link blinked at the man and looked up at his own bangs, noting they were both parted the same way, straight down the middle with a cowlick on the left side.  He even had the same sharp nose and chin that Link did though his face was broader and more mature.  The man smoothed Link’s hair down and smiled gently.

“I realize this is hard to understand, it seems impossible, but you will learn more about your fate someday,” he assured him. “But you must trust me now and listen to what I say.”

The man stood and whistled a three note tune, calling forth a beautiful armored horse from the opposite side of a hill.  “This horse will take you into Kokiri forest, but she cannot stay.  When you are inside the forest, you must find a fairy named Navi, and a girl named Saria.  They will take care of you; find you shelter and give you food.”

He lifted Link and put him atop the horse, helping him fist his hands into her mane.  He pressed his lips together, looking distressed before exhaling sharply.  “Navi will guard you, and she will explain your next steps,” the man explained, taking Link’s face in his broad hands.  “There will be much for you to learn, but for now get to safety.”

“Can’t you come with me?” Link asked quietly.

The man gave him a gentle smile and kissed his forehead.  “I have to go, I cannot stay. Everything will be alright. Have courage, Link.”

And with that he stood, swatting the horse hard to send her into a gallop.  Around him Link noticed the battle slowing and heard people shouting, but the mare pushed onward at a steady clip.  The last thing Link saw when he turned over his shoulder was the man standing in the field, his shadow illuminated by firelight briefly before it faded into darkness.

* * *

 

* * *

__  
{47 Faron, Hylian Calendar 1736.}  
{Link of Kokiri, Age 25, Princess Zelda Besida, age 20}

* * *

 

Link shivered, the musty barn air clinging to his skin.  He turned around to see his clothes where he unintentionally left them, piled on top of each other near tack shelf.  A horse knickered at his presence, nosing him as he came forward and started pulling his trousers back into place.

It was strange to not remember something, yet remember it clearly all at the same time. He knew this day as did everyone in the kingdom.  It was the Day of Armistice, when the Zora had laid down their arms against the Hyrule’s King and agreed to allow their domain to become the eastern border of the Kingdom.  There had been another two seasons of negotiations, but so long as their monarchy system remained intact they were accepting of all other terms the King had laid forth.

This was what history books said, but Link only remembered it as the day his mother died.  The day time split apart and pulled him through a portal the past.  It was the day he became a traveler not only across the kingdom, but through its ages as well.  Though there were some parts of time that seemed forbidden to him.

When he traveled Link sometimes ran into older versions of himself, learning survival skills and gathering information from the future. And just now, he’d visited himself as a boy and knew (having lived through it already) that he’d see himself as a child and later as a young man, but the period between childhood and adolescence was lost to him, both in time and in memory.  

Kaepora helped him piece some information together when he saw him, explaining he’d run into Link just before Link had left to search for a “friend.”  By the next time they met, however, Link had no memory of where he’d been, and no memory of the year or so before that.  Link remembered being summoned to the Deku Tree, then his next memory was leaving the Lost Woods, starving, cold, and aged three years older than he had been upon entering.  The time in between was a mystery to him. After that, he’d lingered outside of Kokiri Forest, too old to stay within its borders, for two days before Kaepora had found him and offered him shelter and security until Link became a man in his own right.

Link thought about the child’s face as he sent him into the woods, wishing he’d had more time with the boy, with himself, to explain all he knew and reassure him that he would be all right.  The next times they met, Link would have to focus on teaching the child preparation and the basics of how to survive.  

He would tell himself to find clothing and supplies wherever he was able, stealing if necessary.  Shelter was second, and if no shelter could be found he would have to make his own.  Link would teach him how to forage and hunt, to defend himself against creatures he’d encounter, and to know when it was time to run.  Running happened often, for farmers hated it when eggs and utility clothing was stolen. Soldiers hated it even more.  He felt a little guilty about needing to teach a child such things, to turn him from an innocent victim of strange happenings into a thief and beggar, but it was either steal, or starve and freeze.  There was never an easy choice.

The lack of time they had together and the necessity of his lessons left little room for much else: comfort, reassurance, the promise that in the end all would be well.  Those were things he never had, even still as an adult he didn’t have them.  He never knew how long he’d have before his next journey, or how long that journey would last.   It was a bit of a paradox when he thought about it.  Though he time traveled, Link often found himself struggling to find time.

Talon was frowning when he returned to the yard, the mare at his side growing restless.  “That took you quite a while, Link.  Where did you go to get these shoes?  The edge of Gerudo?”

“Perhaps,” Link smiled, smoothing his hands down Epona’s mane as Talon took the shoes and nails from him.  He wondered if the horse sensed his displacement, smelled the years on him when she nosed his tunic.  “I have no carrots,” he laughed when she pushed her head against his chest.  

Talon chuckled.  “You don’t need them.  This mare adores you.  It’s as though she knows you from another life.”

Link agreed, it was what made their rides together so enjoyable.  Riding was one of the many things he did to keep himself calm and present, hoping to limit his jumps as often as he could.  Others included training as though he were about to join the Royal Guard, reading whatever he found about the past to try to glean how his travels had started, and attempting to keep up with the running man who passed by the ranch each day.  

“Link, you’re getting quicker,” The man called as he passed him on the trail that ran the edges of Hyrule Field.  “You keep this up and you’ll be able to run around more than just the ranch, you’ll run across all of Hyrule!  Just like me!”

Link laughed. “But never as fast as you!”

The man grinned and gestured to his strange bunny hat.  “It’s only because of these ears you gave me!  I can’t believe you don’t remember it!”

And with that he bolted off, leaving Link alone on the trail and alone with his thoughts.  

This was his life.  Days spent working at Lon Lon Ranch, shoeing, training, and caring for the horses Talon and his partner owned.  Talon’s daughter Malon had been the one to get him the job after meeting him at the Castle Town market then spending the night with him at the inn above the tavern.  It had been fine for a while, she was soft and her sighs were sweet, but then he’d disappeared for six days, traveling again, unable to trigger his return.  He’d missed work without notice or word of his whereabouts and she was furious upon his return, calling him a wolf and a liar for leaving without a second thought.  He’d almost lost the job and with a jolt remembered nothing in his life was permanent.

He’d ended it then, seeking the fleeting touches of tavern goers instead.  One or two nights in town, and afterward they were off, giving him the affection he craved without the fear of loss.  Link hated his cowardice, but he’d lost too much already to get close to anything he would want to keep.

After his mornings at the ranch, Link would return to the small flat he rented in Castle Town, which seemed the only real permanency in his life.  It was one bedroom connected to a communal bath, though Link was currently the only tennant, so it was as private as he could hope for.  He had a single mattress on the floor, a quilt he pieced together from smaller blankets, and a dresser in the corner.  Several chests were strewn about haphazardly, some filled with things he’d collected in his travels and put there for safe keeping, others filled with empty bottles of ale or wine.  The landlord didn’t mind his messiness or frequent disappearances as long as the rent was paid on time.  There were times Link went to drop off his monthly amount and found the balance already paid, sometimes several months ahead.  He never questioned this for he needed all the help he could get.

Once the scent of hay and horses had been washed from his skin, Link would fetch what he needed at the market then head to his afternoon job as a book dealer with Maramu and her precious dog Richard.  The work was slow, and very quiet, a far cry from wrangling horses and training like a soldier. He drank less on the nights he worked in the shop, the quiet atmosphere more calming him to the stress of his world.  People rarely stopped in, especially on days like today when there was a festival in the square, so when the bell rang and the door creaked open Link found himself listening more intently than usual.

“Excuse me.  I’m looking for any texts you might have on the Hyrulean Civil War.”

Link’s long ears perked up.  Military history was an uncommon subject for most villagers.  Though when he looked towards the front of the shop, Link could tell this wasn’t a usual villager.  

Blonde hair poked out from under a white scarf.  Shiekah make, along with the cloak and light armor the person wore.  He said person because he couldn’t quite tell if it was a man or a woman as hidden as their face was.

“Most of those texts are at the castle,” Maramu replied.  “But if we have anything, Link should be able to find it for you.”

Link stood as Maramu gestured in his direction, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he turned to greet the Shiekah customer.  The person hesitated, frozen to the spot, eyes widening as they looked him over.

“The books we have are in the back if you’d like to come with me?” Link said, gesturing with an open hand towards the back of the store.  

The Shiekah followed, eyes burning holes in Link’s tunic as he walked.  When they reached the back, the Shiekah took him by the shoulders and squared themselves with him, looking him up and down in clear shock.

“Link?”

His eyes widened, regarding the Shiekah cautiously before easing out of their grip. “Yes?”

The Shiekah pulled off the white scarf, revealing soft cheekbones and pink lips parted in an awed smile.  The woman gaped at him, still breathless when she spoke.  “Link… I can’t... it’s you.  It’s really you.”

Link grimaced apologetically.  “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

She removed the rest of the scarf, pale blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, gazing at him like a long lost friend, eyes warm, familiar, and bluer than any sky Link had ever seen.  He blinked and studied her back, recognition failing him.  She was radiant, this creature before him.  Surely if he had met someone so exquisite before he would remember her.  Link knew he would never forget this moment that was certain.

The woman swept her hair back and Link’s eyes were drawn to the crown atop her head.  Clairity hit him then, not of her name or where they’d met, but who she was.  He stepped back and fell to one knee, surprised when she followed him to the floor on both hers.

“You told me… the last time we met, you told this would happen,” she said with a musical laugh. “I realize I should be acting normal, but I am failing spectacularly.  It’s so good to see you, Link.”

Link exhaled slowly and stood, taking her delicate hand in his and helping her to her feet.  “Your Highness, please forgive my manners,” he said, bowing low.  “I really have no idea who you are, aside from the crown.”

She nodded at him, expression still awed.  “I’m.. I’m Zelda.  I’m Zelda, and my crown and title do not matter.”  Zelda tucked her hair behind a long ear, looking shyer now, almost uncertain when she spoke again.

“I realize how odd this must be for you, it’s odd for me.  But… um… Would you like to join me for dinner and I can explain everything?” she asked.  When he hesitated, she smiled softly and stepped closer. “We’ve had this dinner planned for a very long time.”

Link lifted his eyebrows.  “We have?”

Zelda nodded, reaching out to touch him, her fingers brushing against his knuckles and sending a shiver through his spine.  “Mido’s Tavern, he serves a roast tonight with rosemary potatoes.  It’s your favorite.”

“It is,” Link confirmed, utterly bemused.

Zelda nodded, still studying him, letting out a long sigh as she did. “You look like you’ve been having a difficult time,” she noted quietly, examining his worn clothing, the length of his hair, possibly the dirt under his nails.  Link knew he wasn’t wearing his cleanest outfit, and his hair was in need of at trim...  He wondered how they met, if he was cleaner cut and healthier, older or younger than he was now.

“You know, everything will be all right,” she assured him, her voice filled with quiet sincerity. Link kept his arms folded, trying to appear relaxed though his mind was racing. This seemed impossible, that he at any point would be courting anyone, let alone a princess.

Zelda smiled brightly and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder before curling it neatly inside the white scarf.  “So, is it a yes?  Will you accept my invitation to dinner?”

“Yes. I, um… I accept.”

“Yes.  You accept.  Yes, alright,” she beamed, flustered and flushed attractively as she wrapped the scarf around her face.  “So, after sunset at Mido’s.  There’s a table in the back you like.”

“Uh… yes, I know the one,” Link replied, unnerved by her intimate knowledge of his preference for meals and his seat in the tavern. He vaguely worried about what else she knew.

Zelda grinned and began to back away, a skip in her step as she did.

“I shall see you this evening, then,” she smiled.  “Farewell for now, Link.”

Link nodded, watching her go, confused by the sudden feeling that he was letting something precious to him just walk away.

* * *

 

Link evened the ends of his hair as well as he could and borrowed oil from his landlord Korrik, who stood smirking in the bathroom doorway as Link finished shaving his face clean.

“The Princess of Hyrule, you say,” Korrik murmured, shaking his head in amusement.  “There’s been the rumor for years that she comes to town in disguise, but I never believed it.  Perhaps she’s seen you training and is looking for recruits.”

“That would almost be a relief,” Link replied.  He’d always wanted to be a knight, but it had never seemed possible with his frequent shifts in and out of the present.  

“Well, I wish you luck my friend.  Keep it down if you return with her this evening,” he teased before walking back down the stairs.  Link shook his head and turned back to the mirror, arranging his hair in a neat ponytail at the nape of his neck and spreading the scented oil across his throat.  He’d moved to place the bottle on the sink when the tingling started.

“Shit,” Link muttered, fighting hard against the lurch in his stomach.  The surrounding room faded and when Link opened his eyes again, he was naked in the alley behind Mido’s Tavern in the pouring rain with no idea what day or year it was.

If he was found naked, it would be the stocks or barracks again and the inevitable questions that followed. Link thought back to the lessons he’d learned from his older self, a lesson he would have to pass on sometime soon:  No matter where you find yourself, be prepared to run.  Run, find clothing, and find shelter anyway you can.  

There was a door to the right of the tavern and Link ran towards it, slamming his shoulder into the handle until it burst open. The room was filled with soldiers’ gear and royal guard uniforms, extras they kept for town guards.  They would have to do for now.  Depending on what year it was he may have supplies in his flat so that was where he’d head next.

As he was pulling clothing on Link thought of Princess Zelda waiting for him in the tavern, as she had apparently waited to meet him before now.  Guilt seized him.  He had to return somehow, but even then he couldn’t guarantee he’d return the same day.  He could disappear for days or weeks, leaving her to wait on him again, if she even wanted to see him again after this.  

His travels happened at random, no warning or precursor to his disappearance other than the trembling in his limbs and the twist in his belly.  There was little way to control it, but there were certain things he knew triggered it.  Stress, being in imminent danger, or long periods of inactivity.  He was trying to decide if he should do something reckless or simply sit and wait when the door to the armory burst open and two soldiers stormed in.

“What do you think you’re doing in here?” One snarled, seizing Link and slamming his face hard into the door frame.  A pair of irons were slapped onto his wrists and the two guards hauled him outside.

“Vagrant,” the second guard sneered.  “These are Royal Officer uniforms, meant for Knights of Hyrule not for the likes of you.”

At the mention of Royal Officers, an idea suddenly came to him.  “I need to see the Princess,”  Link said, much to the amusement of the two soldiers hauling him through the rain.  

“As does every thief in this town,” one of them scoffed.  Link let his feet drag, already sensing the pull, though this time he welcomed rather that fought it.

“If you cooperate, perhaps we’ll drag you before her on the morrow after you’ve sobered up,” one of the guards offered.

“It will be too late by then,” Link said wryly.  

“Oh, and why’s that?”

With a sigh Link felt himself fade, leaving behind nothing but a heap of Royal Clothing and two bewildered guards standing in the rain.

* * *

 

Zelda was already sitting at the back table when he arrived, looking graceful and elegant in a soft violet dress with a wide neckline and sleeves that ran halfway down her arms.  She was facing away when Link approached, so link paused to straighten his plait and smooth his hair, hoping he didn’t look too disheveled from his rush to get re-dressed.  He took a deep breath, another surge of gulf hitting him when Zelda looked up, startled by his sudden appearance.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I was,” Link paused, searching for the correct word.  “Detained.”

“Are you alright?” she asked, staring appalled at his cheek.  

Link rubbed his hand across it, wincing as he did, certain a dark bruise was already forming. “Yes, I’m-”

“What happened?”

“I’m fine, this is nothing,” he muttered, watching as a server came over and set a glass of wine down in front of Zelda.  She looked to it for a brief moment, then turned her observant eyes back to him, frowning as she examined his face.

“Did you tell them your name?”

“I… wasn’t given a chance.”

“If you ever come across trouble, or need shelter or… anything, just find a guard and tell them your name.  They’re under orders to bring you straight to me,” she said.

Link hesitated. “I did… ask to see the princess, but they acted-”

“People ask to see me all the time, but they’ve all been told if a man named Link asks to see me they’re to bring him straight up, no matter the hour.”

“I appreciate that,” Link began, then he sighed heavily.  “But I don’t know you, Princess, it seems disrespect- “

“Please… call me Zelda,” she asked, a shadow of pain flashing across her face.  Link frowned, leaning closer to her, his tone softening.

“You do realize why I don’t know you, right?”

“Yes, of course,” Zelda said, chewing her lip.  “When… You told me once that your memory of our time together as children was lost to you for a while, until Rauru helped you recover it.”

“Who’s Rauru?”

“He’s… Rauru is,” she started, perplexed he didn't recognize the name. “Rauru is the sage who helps you recover your memories, that’s what you told me. He’s the one who explained everything and helped you to understand why you travel.”

Link blinked and tried to process this information, unchivalrously helping himself to the glass of wine between them.  She stared at him while he drank.

“You really… you aren’t supposed to drink.”

Link swallowed the wine before responding. “Why not?”

“Because it makes you travel,” she said, leaning closer and relaxing when he set the glass of wine down.  “Rauru told you it triggers memories that make you upset, and when you get upset you travel more.”

Link ran a hand through his hair before using it to stifle an exasperated sigh.  “When… how long ago did I tell you that?”.

“You were older,” she admitted.  “When you’re older, you travel back to visit me, always in the courtyard.  You’ve been meeting with me since I was six years old,” she explained, sighing whimsically as she leaned forward and ran her fingers along the right side of his face, thumb brushing his eyebrow and along his temple.

“That was when I first met you.  You visited a few times, then a year later you came and you were young, just a few years older than I was.  You… you saved my kingdom, Link.  And then you left to search for a friend,” she explained, still cradling his cheek.  “I didn’t see you again for three years after that and when I did you were older again and... you’d lost your memory.”

Link sighed, fighting the urge to lean into her touch.  It had been awhile since he’d been touched, but there was something about hers in particular.  It was intimate, as though they were lovers lost to each other.  Link pressed his lips together, trying to rationalize the feelings she stirred within him.  He measured his next words, working to keep his tone gentle but firm.

“Can we pretend for a moment that… that we’ve never met before? You are not wearing a crown now, but I can’t… unknow what I know.  It feels disrespectful to call you Zelda when I know you are my Princess.”

“Yes, of course,” she breathed, looking sheepish.  “You asked that I be gentle with you, and… I’m not.  I apologize, I’ve just been looking forward to seeing you for so long,” she said softly, pulling a bound journal from the bag beside her chair.  “I wrote down each time you came to visit.”

“Which I gather I did, or will do, fairly often.”

Zelda smiled, bright as the sun and just as warm.  Link’s heart stuttered and he couldn’t help but smile back.  

“The last time I saw you was two years ago, when I was eighteen. It seems you visit the same places frequently,” she said, turning through various pages in her book.  

“Yes, it's like gravity,” he agreed.  “Big events… they pull me in.”  

He swallowed then, heart pounding as Zelda leaned closer, the warmth of her gaze touching him even from across the table.  

“I was a big event,” she whispered, fingers brushing the bruise on his cheek again.

“So it would seem,” Link said, taking her hand in his. She smiled at this gesture, squeezing his fingers softly.

“Princess,” he began, tasting the word, wondering if he should have brought her a gift or favor of some sort. “Princess for now.  Word is you will be Queen soon.”

“Not for another year.  Possibly longer.  It depends on how… there are many things it depends on,” she mused.

Link nodded, eyes fixed on their intertwined fingers, hers pale and soft, his rough and weathered, highlighting the stark difference between them.  He was an orphan, from a strange forest to the north. She was born in the castle, celebrated and cherished.  Link had no family, no nobility to his blood, little money to his name.  He was cursed, she was blessed.

He frowned, part of him wanting to release her knowing he was not worthy to court a princess, he was barely worthy to court anyone, but he couldn’t stand to let her go.  The thought made him ache inside.  Not only that, Princess Zelda held tight, everything from her posture to her words suggesting that she had waited years for this moment, and now that it was hear she was not going to let it slip away.  

Link stared at her beautiful face, her soft pink lips and blue eyes, the thick hair that hung past her shoulders. The village had labeled her Noble Princess Zelda for the honor, bravery, and gentleness she’d shown to those who met her.  He could feel that gentleness in her touch, and was unable to imagine what paradoxical universe he could have come from to deserve her.

“Link, I beg you not to get hung up on my title, whatever it may be,” she said then, seemingly reading his thoughts.  “To you I am Zelda, I always have been.  I realize it must seem strange, but it’s just… you are my best friend.”  She laughed then, touching him softly at the jaw with both hands.  “I’ve been in love with you all of my life.”

Link exhaled slowly, an ache filling his chest, complementing the bloom of warmth that spread from his ribs down through his belly.  He randomly thought of Malon, Kaepora, and Navi.  All the people he’d met throughout the years.  Always friendly, but never letting them any closer than arm's length, too afraid of the pain he’d feel when he lost them.

That fear didn’t seize him now. For some reason, Zelda was different.  Maybe it was because she aware of his secret; that barrier was gone and he had nothing to hide.  But there was more.  He wanted to learn about her, to draw her in and hold her close, to keep her safe and be by her side through whatever struggles she would face.  The longer he stared into her eyes, it seemed like he did know her.  Not just from his lost childhood memories, but beyond that.  Link could feel an ancient tie between them he lacked the words to explain.

They finished dinner, conversing quietly throughout.  She asked him of his travels around Hyrule and about his work on the ranch, delighted to hear that in his free time he’d been sharpening his swordplay and archery skills to stay present.

“I realize it’s purely for your physical well-being, but I’d be delighted if you’d accept my offer to become formally trained.  Though I’m guessing within a month or two, you’ll be the one doing the training,” she said as they walked around the town square.  The Armistice Day festival was still going strong, and though their princess walked among them in casual dress, the villagers were too engaged in conversation or drink to notice.  

Link laughed.  “I doubt that.  I’d love to accept, but you understand how-”

“It won’t be a problem, I can make arrangements for you,” she said brightly. “I shouldn’t reveal too much, but… let’s just say I know the uniform fits you well.”

“That is… you are very kind, Zelda.  I’m happy to accept your offer,” Link said quietly, again examining their hands clasped together, the connection he felt to her growing stronger by the second.  

Link asked how her life had been, what it was like for a princess compared to his life as a peasant.  She spoke of council meetings she was forced to attend, diplomacy talks with a group of Gerudo outliers, dinners and balls and events where she explained she often felt lonely.  

Her political life aside, Zelda held an interest in archery and stealth training she’d picked up from her Shiekah handmaid.

“I like to be among the people, but my presence often causes an uproar, so I disguise myself when I want to observe the crowds or have a personal day,” she said.  “I was a bit embarrassed this afternoon.  Had I known I would meet you today I’d have worn something nicer,” she said shyly.

Link smiled.  “I thought you were beautiful,” he admitted, removing his cloak and placing it over her shoulders, wanting to protect her from the chill that accompanied the night air no matter the season.  “I think you are beautiful now.”

Zelda smiled, flushed through her cheeks as she stepped closer to Link, coaxing his arm around her waist.  “I’m… surprised you are given so much freedom,”. Link said.  “I assumed you’d have an escort at all times.”

“My handmaid is my primary guardian. She’s a Shiekah and almost omnipotent it seems at times.  I don’t need an escort with her around,” Zelda laughed.  “But... she understands I like my space, and I trusted if something were to happen you would keep me safe.”

“I would certainly do my best, but I have no blade or shield-”

“I sense you don’t always need them,” she noted, taking his hand and examining the bruising and scars on his knuckles, tracing them with featherlight touches.  This small action stirred another longing inside him, one that usually had him working quickly through layers of clothing to feel skin against skin, but Link strangely was in no rush with her.  He wanted to draw out their time together, to earn the affection she had for him. Aside from this, she was a princess.  There were certain rules he had to follow if he wanted to court her properly.

On that thought, Link sighed and looked at the path that led to the castle and the rising moon in the sky.  “I should escort you back before it gets much later.”

Zelda shook her head and turned to face him, her body warm as it pressed into his.  “Actually, I’d like to see where you live.  I want to make sure… that you are safe and have a decent sleeping place.  I can’t bear the thought of you on the streets or in a hovel somewhere.”

Link considered this, thinking about the state his flat was in, along with everything he understood about propriety and noble behaviour.  “I don’t want-”

“Link, I have waited two years to see you.  You stand before me now and I have no desire to wait any longer.”

Zelda took his other hand, bringing his arm around her waist while she slid her hands around his neck, waiting expectantly for him to guide her to his flat.  Link turned his eyes to the second floor of Kerrik’s building, thinking again of the clothing strewn about and the empty bottles piled in chests.  

“Do you have that scarf with you?”

* * *

 

Link coaxed Zelda into the single room, shutting the door behind her once she was inside.  He left her blindfolded, hand pressed against the wall for support while he cleaned up a bit.  

“Is this really necessary?” she laughed as Link raced around the room.

“Yes, for just a moment.  Can you… count to a thousand?”

“A thousand?”

“Yes, one thousand,” Link insisted, quickly tossing clothes into a basket and kicking the chest of empty bottles out of sight.  

“One… two… three,” Zelda began, leaving the wall and walking closer to where he was.  Link realized his bed wasn’t made and quickly straightened out the quilt atop it, arranging the pillows appropriately.  Zelda kept walking, looking perplexed but amused as she counted.  “Five hundred… six hundred…”

“Give me just a moment,” Link pleaded, stowing more clothing in a chest and scrambling to pick up scraps of note paper and books lying about.

“Eight hundred…”

Link placed himself in the center of the room, brushing off his green tunic and tan trousers and standing as tall as he could.  His heart was pounding, hands shaking as Zelda pulled the scarf from her beautiful face and tossed her hair back off her shoulders.

“One thousand,” she murmured, scanning the room, smiling curiously as she did.  She didn’t look around for long before her eyes fell on him, taking on a darker appearance when they met his.  She smiled softly, stepping closer and shedding his cloak from her shoulders.  Link’s breath hitched.

“Can I… offer you a drink?”

Zelda beamed at him, giggling before shaking her head.  “I don’t want a drink,” she breathed, her hands soft as she reached out to touch his waist.  

Link nodded, trembling when she nuzzled his neck.  He tilted his head and leaned in, moaning quietly when her mouth met his.  She sighed into the kiss, threading fingers into his hair and parting her lips, the taste of her sweet against his tongue. There was a deep intimacy in the way she kissed him, a hunger born from long familiarity and Link wondered to himself just what he’d been doing in this courtyard.  He held her at the waist, shuddering when she slipped a hand under his tunic, her palms warm against his chest.

“Goddess, help me.  You’re so young,” she sighed with a smile, nuzzling him as he cradled her face in his hands.  Zelda pushed into the next kiss, walking Link backward until his knees hit his bed and he sat down, desire racing through him when she lifted her skirts and crawled onto his lap.

“Should we be doing- “

“Yes,” she sighed, a desperation in her next kiss he could hardly ignore.  “I told you earlier, I’ve waited two years.  I don’t have the will to wait any longer.”  

Link was panting, lips catching patches of skin along her neck, behind her ears and along collarbone as she rolled her hips against his, dragging his hands over her breasts.  There was not a hint of shyness in her actions, no hesitancy in her touch.  Link held her close as she pulled his tunic over his head, obeying when she guided his hands to the ties at the front of her dress.

“Remind me again,” he said as he slowly pulled them open, eyes fluttering when she rocked into him again.  “How did we meet?”

Zelda giggled, the sound warm and sultry, sending shivers of anticipation down his spine.  “You’re older than you are now,” she breathed against his lips, shifting her shoulders to let her dress slide off them, revealing nothing but smooth, pale skin underneath.  “Maybe I’m not meant to tell you.”

“I think… I think I need to know,” he murmured, relishing in the sensation of her skin against his.  At her urging Link laid her back against his pillows, sliding her dress down her legs, kissing bare skin as he went.  Zelda lifted her hips, helping him slide her panties down her legs.

“I’ll tell you in a bit,” she panted, fingers working furiously at the tie of his trousers while Link kicked his boots off his feet and onto the floor.  She assisted in working his trousers down his legs, and Link let out an enraptured moan when Zelda sat up, fisted her fingers in his hair, and pulled him to her.

For the next hour, Link couldn’t have cared less how they met.  He couldn’t have cared less if he knew anything about his past or what his future would hold.  All he wanted was here and now.  Zelda sighing against his lips, giggling when he hesitated, whispering  _It’s alright_  and  _I want you_.  Sighing  _Please, Link_  against his cheek.  Her hands were tight in his hair when he kissed down her belly, legs trembling when he pressed his mouth against her thighs and between them.  She held him close, writhing under his mouth, desperate by the time he crawled over top her and pushed his hips flush into hers.  Zelda urged him deeper, faster, clutching his shoulders and panting in time with his thrusts, her kisses sweet as honey.  He held her beautiful face in his hands, watching fascinated as she threw her head back and sang out his name before following her into blissful oblivion moments later.  

When it was over she curled against him, head tucked under his chin, legs intertwined in the blanket.  Link stared at it, horribly guilty that he was lying naked on a single mattress with the Princess of Hyrule.  She should have flowers, satin sheets... a fire burning low in the background.  At the very least he should have a better cover than the thin quilt he'd patched together years ago.  When he mentioned this, Zelda laughed and slid up to kiss him again.

“I like this quilt, and I would have wanted you anytime, anywhere,” she grinned.  “I don’t give a damn about propriety.”

Link smiled, pushing her hair back from her face.  He couldn’t stop staring, wondering what he had done to deserve the way she looked at him.  Zelda smiled gently and kissed his nose before crawling over top him, her knees on either side of his waist.

“You wanted to hear how we met?” she purred. “It’s a long story…”  

Link breathed out a quiet noise of agreement, trembling as Zelda shifted lower, settling her hips onto his.  He threaded his fingers into her hair, holding her so close the words they spoke afterwards were like kisses themselves.

“I’ve got time.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda reflects on her time with Link, and on the times he's spent without her...

* * *

_87 Ordon, Hylian Calendar 1722,_  
_Princess Zelda_ Besida _, age 6, Prince Consort Link, age 36_

* * *

 

It was warm for fall, the sun bright in the mid-morning sky.  Zelda was not going to miss out on the opportunity to be outside.  Before long the snows would come and cover the ground of the courtyard, leaving her with nowhere to play other than the halls of the castle she called home.  She grabbed a blanket, paper and pencils to sketch with, and the ocarina she’d been learning to play and raced outside, bumping into a few servants as she passed.

“Hold up, my little princess,” Impa said as Zelda pushed through the front door of the castle.  Her handmaid knelt and tucked Zelda’s hair into her headdress, shaking her head though her smile was warm.   “It is warm today, but you should still keep your head covered.”

Zelda smiled brightly at Impa before turning and continuing on her way, greeting a few of the guards who called out to her while she walked to the courtyard.  Their patrols kept them in the gardens, but never in the courtyard itself. It was the one place she could truly be alone, if only for a while. Zelda spread out the blanket and sat down, pulling out the ocarina and playing a few notes before she took out the paper and began to draw.  She thought of her mother, her long hair and soft features, though she’d barely gotten started on a picture when there was a rustling behind some trees.

“Who’s there?” Zelda asked, turning sharply towards the sound.

“Greetings, my lady!” a deep voice replied.  

Zelda scowled.  “Maro! Your father has told you to stop following me,” she snarled, removing one of her shoes and tossing it into the cluster of trees.  It landed in the branches with a satisfying thud.

“ _Ow_!  Zelda… I won’t hurt you, please don’t throw anything at me.”

Zelda took a few steps back, realizing the voice did not belong to Maro.  It was too deep and mature to belong to a ten-year-old. “Who are you? How do you know my name?” she demanded, standing up to her full height and using the assertive voice her father had taught her to speak with.  “Show yourself!”

“Can you… can you hand me the blanket?”

“Perhaps I should call Impa, or-”

“No, no!  Don’t call for Impa, _please_ ,” the man said, sounding both panicked and amused at the same time.  “Just hand me the blanket and I promise I’ll leave.”

Zelda picked up the blanket and walked cautiously toward the trees.  “You can’t leave, you’ll be caught by the guards,” she said, gasping when the blanket was pulled from her hands.

“Well, perhaps I’ll stay for a moment,” the man said, stepping out from behind the trees.

Zelda froze, confused and intrigued all at once.  She knew she was safe for all she had to do was scream and one of the guards would come running, but the man standing before her didn’t scare her in the slightest.  He was tall, with ashy blond hair and long bangs that hung over his forehead into his eyes. His right one was missing, a neat scar running from his from his eyebrow to just below his cheekbone in its place.  He had the blanket wrapped tightly around himself as he stepped slowly out into the courtyard.

“Are you cold? Is that why you need the blanket?”

The man shook his head, a small smile on his face.  “I’m a time traveler. I’ve come from the future, and when I travel I don’t get to bring my clothes.”

“There’s no such thing as time travelers," Zelda scoffed.

“Yes, there is,” the man said.  “You and I are actually friends in the future. When you’re the Queen.”

Zelda blinked at him.  She wouldn’t be crowned until she was twenty-one at least, possibly later if her father wasn’t ready to retire.  She was only six now. That seemed a long time off. “When am I crowned?”

“You are crowned when you’re twenty-two."

She considered this, still thinking it seemed very far away.  “Am I pretty?”

The man chuckled.  “Yes, you’re beautiful.”

“I still don’t believe you.  Prove you’re from the future.”

“Well, your name is Zelda, you are the daughter of King Oren and Queen Lucia, who passed when you were three.  Born Eldin 85 in Hylian Year 1715 and-”

“Yes, you know things.  Much of this is common knowledge.  It does not prove you’re from the future,” Zelda said matter-of-factly.

“Alright,” the man said as he walked closer.  He knelt in front of her and lowered his voice.  “Your father’s personal guard has a son named Maro, he’s a few years older than you and a real pain in the ass.”

Zelda giggled at his cursing. “Yes, and?”

“In three days time, he’s going to fall off the gatehouse wall and break his arm.”

“Well, if that doesn’t happen for three days, I won’t know until then if you’re telling me the truth.”

The man smirked at her.  “Well, if you stay with me long enough, you’ll watch me disappear.”

Zelda’s heart sank, and she took a few steps closer.  “But you just got here.”

“I will return again,” he consoled.  “Many times. In fact, I will be back again a week from tomorrow, at midday, and it would be especially kind if you could bring me some clothing.  Something simple. A sparring outfit would work.”

“I’m going to bring you a guard’s uniform,” she said.  “You look like a soldier.”

“You are especially observant, Zelda. I am a soldier.”  He rose to his feet and sighed before offering her his hand.  “My name is Link by the way. It’s been a pleasure to meet you.”

Zelda stared at him, hesitant to take his hand at first.  Link continued to grin fondly at her and she finally extended her hand back, watching him shake it once before giving her a small bow. Zelda held his fingers tightly as they began to slip out of her grasp, but then she realized they weren’t slipping, they were fading.  Slowly his hand disappeared, then his shoulder, and his feet. Leaving only his smiling face before it too faded away, disappearing into nothing. The blanket tumbled to the ground and Zelda stared at it, smiling to herself, thinking she knew the biggest secret in all the kingdom.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A week later, after hiding out by the gatehouse to watch Maro fall and break his arm in two places, she asked Impa for a guards' uniform, something that would fit her father.  Impa had given her a curious look while pulling out the clothes. “What do you need these clothes for, Princess?”

“I want to play dress up.”

“These will be much too big for you to play in,” Impa murmured as she folded the tunic and pants.  “I could get you some servants clothes, or-”

“No, I want to be a soldier.”

Impa smiled. “In that case, when you’re done playing dress up why don’t you find me?  I will begin teaching you how to defend yourself.”

Zelda’s eyes went wide, and she ran close to Impa, who knelt to look eye at her.  “Will you teach me to disappear like you do, or to fight like my father does?”

“Your father will forbid you from ever using a blade, but I can teach you how to fight without one.  To hide in plain sight, to cloak yourself in shadow so no one can trace you. I will teach you the old ways and how to harness the power that lives inside you,” she said, tapping Zelda softly on the nose.

“Yes, I would like that very much, Impa,” Zelda said, emphatically nodding as Impa stood back up.

“Well, if you like that idea so much, will you tell me _why_ you need soldiers clothing?”

Zelda froze.  She chewed her lip, wondering perhaps if the truth was the best option here.  Impa would understand, she had to understand. “There’s a time traveler who meets me in the courtyard.  He needs clothes.”

Impa blinked at her once, then smiled and shook her head.  “Alright, Little Princess. Here are your clothes for your time traveler."

"Will you still train me?" Zelda asked, taking the clothing and biting her lip as she looked at Impa.  

"I promise, my child.  You will know our ways."

Zelda beamed and wrapped her arms tight around Impa's legs before running hard down the halls out into the courtyard.  Link had said he would arrive at midday, and the sun was already high in the sky so she worried she might be late. When she got to the clearing and looked behind the trees, he was nowhere to be found.  Zelda frowned, setting the folded clothes on the ground while she went to sit on the steps. She watched the sun’s rays move across the sky, shifting the shadows on the ground, pouting while she wondered if perhaps Link had been a dream, or maybe one of the soldiers playing a cruel trick on her at Maro’s behest. She wiped her cheeks a few minutes later and was about to leave she saw the tree branches shake and the clothing snatched into the leaves.

“You came!” she exclaimed, rushing over in excitement.

“I did.  Just… please give me a moment,” Link begged, holding out a single arm to stop her from coming closer.  A few seconds later he stepped out, looking slightly different from the last time she’d seen him. His hair was shorter, cropped even with his ears now, but he still had the scar and a friendly smile on his face.

“Thank you very much for the clothing, Princess.”

“You called me Zelda last time.”

“Would you prefer I call you Zelda?”

“Yes, please.  Everyone calls me Princess or _Little_ Princess. I’m going to be _seven_ in less than a year, I’m not little.”

Link chuckled and nodded.  “Thank you for the clothing, _Zelda_.”

Zelda folded her arms.  “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.  I waited here a long time.”

For some reason this made Link grimace, and he knelt down to look at her closer.  “I apologize for that. It pains me to say it but… you may find if we stay friends, you’ll be waiting on me a lot.”

“I didn’t mind that much,” Zelda shrugged.  “You’re here now. You know, we don’t have to stay here.  I could take you into the castle and we could get something to eat, or I could show you my room and all the paintings I’ve made.”

“I would love to see those, but I can’t go to the castle yet.  Time travelers shouldn’t meet normal people before they meet them in their present time.  It… can be confusing,” he said sadly. “But you could bring them out here sometime and-”

“But we’ve met,” Zelda interjected.  “Is that… is that a problem?”

“No, it’s not, because you’re very special and you can keep a secret,” Link said with a smile, tilting his head when Zelda sheepishly looked away.  “Is something wrong?”

“I… I sort of told someone about you,” Zelda admitted.

“Oh?”

“Yes.  My handmaid Impa asked me why I needed the clothes, and I told her I wanted to play dress up and be a soldier, then she offered to train me to fight like she does if I told her why I really needed them.”  Zelda chewed her lip and turned around to face him, hands clasped in front of her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I was so excited that she might start teaching me how to be a Shiekah and use magic that I… I told her they were for a time traveler.  I’m sorry.”

Link smiled and shook his head.  “I’m not angry, Zelda. What did she say?”

“She… well, she gave me the clothes and told me to go play, laughing at me a bit,” Zelda said.  “I don’t… I don’t think she believed me.”

“I’m sure if she did she’d be down here to see this traveler for herself,” Link said with a little laugh.  

Zelda nodded.  “I was telling the truth though.  I… she didn’t believe me. Impa always believes me.”

“Don’t let it trouble you, Zelda.  Most people don’t believe me when I tell them.”

“I believed you.”

Link smiled and tucked some of her hair back into her headdress.  “And that’s what makes you special,” he said quietly. Zelda grinned, and he laughed at her again.  “Did you bring anything besides the clothes?” Link asked.

“Just some paper to draw on.  Oh, and I brought chess board.”

Link nodded.  “I don’t know how to play chess.  Will you teach me?”

Zelda nodded, beaming at him as she took his hand and tugged him over to the courtyard steps.

* * *

  _*~*~*~*~*~*~*_  
_48 Faron, Hylian Calendar 1736._  
_Princess Zelda_ Besida _, age 20, Link of Kokiri, Age 25_

* * *

 

Zelda blinked her eyes open, noting the rays of sunlight creeping through the single window of Link’s loft.  She sat up to gauge how far it had drifted over the horizon. It was barely above it, the roosters hadn’t even started calling.  She had time.

She turned and smiled at Link next to her, flat on his back, features softened by sleep.  Zelda reached out to touch his cheek, cherishing his face, his _whole_ face.  Aside from when they were children, she’d never seen him with both eyes.  Every time he visited he’d bore the scar across the right side of his face.  Never a patch though. She supposed a patch was clothing in a way, and thought to herself she preferred him without one.  Zelda wondered when and how he would lose his eye, not that it mattered. His face was perfect to her in any shape.

Zelda stretched her arms long over her head as she stood, feeling relaxed, warm, and pleasantly stiff in her hips and legs just as she had two years previously.  Link had been nervous this time; willing and eager, but nervous. It was different from the steady-handed man she’d had before. She’d had to guide him a bit, reassure him that all was fine and she wanted this.  She wanted _him_. His hesitation was understandable, she was a Princess after all and this was not exactly regal behavior. But it would have been akin to torture had she resisted. Two years since she last saw him and each day in between had seemed like a part of her was missing.

The bathroom connected to his apartment was small, but that was to be expected in a loft this size.  Zelda examined herself in the mirror as she washed off her hands, making sure not to wet the sleeves of his tunic she’d borrowed.  She smoothed out her hair and studied the few things Link had left out on his basin: a straight razor and shears, some strands of blond hair.  There was a bottle of heady, woodsy-smelling oil that she remembered smelling around his neck and, strangely, a woman’s scarf.

A woman’s scarf…

Zelda frowned and picked it up, running the silky fabric between her fingers.  It smelled vaguely of alcohol and leather, and Zelda recalled Link's day job on the ranch, and his frequent nights spent at Mido's...

It hit her then that Link, _this_ Link, whom she had just met, had a life all to himself, one she knew nothing about.  He had jobs, friends, and relationships where her life had always seemed as though it revolved around his appearances. Around the chaos he’d helped tame then his frequent visits in the years after.  She never once considered his life didn’t revolve around her; that he wasn’t anxiously awaiting the moment they would meet again. Zelda twisted the scarf in her hands, shame and jealousy mixing like a bad potion in her stomach.

“Please don’t worry about that,” Link said casually leaning by the doorway.  He was shirtless and tempting, but she was too conflicted now to act on the desire crept into her chest.  His eyes fell on the scarf, lips pursed as he considered it. “That’s… that’s over now.”

Zelda nodded, setting the fabric on the basin before turning to him. “This is strange.  I’ve… never known you outside the castle walls, or met you at this age. I didn’t even think to ask how old you are,” she murmured, incredulous that she neglected to ask him the most basic of questions.

“Twenty-five.”

“You _are_ young,” Zelda said.  “I’ve… when I’ve met you, you were a man fully grown.  Worldly and wise.”

Link chuckled softly.  “I’m in competition with myself.”

“Not exactly,” Zelda said, sheepish now.  “You were… you were always my partner idealized, my dreams turned reality.”  

Link grimaced, looking down at his bare feet.  Zelda stepped closer and took his face in her hands, thumbs brushing over his cheeks, losing herself in his steely blue eyes.

“But this is good, this… it might be better,” she said.  “It’s as you said yesterday. We just met, we can truly know each other now.”

Link exhaled slowly, his expression relaxed though Zelda could see something strange in his eyes, almost like fear or wariness.  There was hope there as well, and it was the hope she clung to when he brought his forehead to hers and tilted her lips to his. She sighed into the kiss, leaning up on her toes to run her hands over his broad shoulders as he slid his arms around her waist.

“I’d like that,” he whispered.  “I’d like to truly know you, Zelda.”

She beamed at him, nuzzling him softly before melting into another kiss.

* * *

  _*~*~*~*~*~*~*_  
_67 Ordon, Hylian Calendar 1736.  
__Princess Zelda_ Besida _, Age 20, Link of _Kokiri, Age 25__

* * *

__

Hylians measured time in the passing of seasons.  Winter to spring, spring into summer, summer to fall and begin again.  The interim periods were broken into unnamed months between full moons, weeks by the celestial bodies in the sky, and days in the rotating of the sun and stars.  The hours were measured by shadows on the ground, though as soon as it set time was lost for a while. Zelda had always surmised this was because most people slept at night, or retreated indoors during the evening hours.  Though after she met Link, this did not seem to be the case for her. There were plenty of nights she spent awake, sighing as he kissed her, moaning against his neck while he cried out into her hair.

Her royal responsibilities were relegated to daytime hours, fortunately.  Meetings on the affairs of the kingdom, attempts to find solutions to the subtle violence hailing from the southwest.  The Gerudo were fighting amongst themselves, divided between those who supported promoting Lord Ganondorf to King as was their custom when a male was born to them, and those who resisted, saying Ganondorf wanted more than peace, that he sought the mythical Heart of the World and the Sacred Realm her family had guarded for centuries.

Her father had been on the fence about which route to take, wanting to respect cultural conditions but also suspicious of Ganondorf’s supposed loyalty.  Since she was a child, Zelda had held a gut instinct that Ganondorf was not to be trusted, one Impa agreed with, but her father had not listened. It was then eleven-year-old Link showed up bearing the fabled Mark of the Hero on his hand and carrying the spiritual stone of the forest.  

Link confirmed Zelda’s prophecies were true, claiming he had seen what would happen if the King sided with Ganondorf: destruction and ruin, the King dead and the princess in hiding, a war far worse than the Hyrulean Civil War had been.  His appearance had changed everything, and her father had sent him personally to retrieve the other two stones to be hidden away before Ganondorf could seize them.

Of course, Link, _her_ Link, the one before her now, knew little if any of this.  An older version of himself had told her that time had been lost to him, but would eventually return, all being revealed when they were both ready.  He’d also said she must not press him, or herself, before that moment, for the paradoxical consequences could leave Hyrule in ruins forever.

Though part of her longed to speak with him about their time together as children, it was easy to ignore it for now.  She was too busy treasuring the time they had together. Her mornings were spent playing politics while he spent his at the ranch outside of town.  In the afternoons, he'd left his job as a bookkeeper, to the dismay of Maramu, who referred to Link as the most reliable man in her life save for her pup, and accepted Zelda’s personal invitation to train with the Hyrulean Army.  She and Link explained to Captain Robon that Link had other commitments that could pull him away from training days or hours at a time, which had at first drawn some concern, but when the man saw how well Link fought, he welcomed him with open arms no matter what his other “commitments” were.

“You move like you have been personally touched by the Gods,” the man had said after Link put a soldier the size of a Moblin on his back.  “I should have you train the others.”

Zelda had beamed at this suggestion, but Link was hesitant.  “I have barely been training a season. It’s fall, and I only started in the spring; there are soldiers with much more experience and Knights who should be up for Master-at-arms before I am.  I’m not even a Knight.”

“Only a formality,” Zelda said, fingers threading through his wispy bangs.  “You are a Knight in my eyes and always will be.”

“If it is only a formality, then I should call you my Queen because that is what you are in my eyes,” he said with a smile, fingertips soft against her cheekbone when he kissed her.  They were sitting in the courtyard, nestled close together, Link looking at Zelda as though she were his entire world. Zelda slid closer to him, nuzzling her nose against his as he threaded an arm around her waist.  

“I am still not used to this, having you with me so often," she sighed. “It’s like a dream. I keep waiting for you to disappear.”

“Oh, it will happen, believe me,” Link said ruefully, an edge to his voice that made Zelda press her lips to his cheek and trace her fingers along his tunic, hoping to comfort him with her touch.

“What is it like?  I know too well what it’s like to watch you go, but how does it feel to be the one always leaving?”

Link sighed, considering her question.  “There are times it feels… like you’ve stood too quickly.  There’s a tingling in your hands and feet, then a pull through your stomach.  One minute your body is there and… then it isn’t. Like your attention wandered for a second and at that moment, everything changed.

“When you open your eyes again, you’re standing naked somewhere in the world.  Maybe you’ve visited there before and maybe you haven’t, but you have no idea how long it will last, so you begin walking, searching for clothing and shelter anywhere you can find it,” he explained, eyes fixed on his boots for a moment before turning back to hers.  “Once you’re dressed, you appear just as anyone else. Another traveler on the road, a simple visitor to the region, except you’re stranded and alone with no idea of what day, week, or year it is sometimes. Then you wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Wait for someone to find you, wait for a job or task to come along,” he shrugged.  “Wait to disappear again.”

“But you get to see people from your past, like your mother. You can be with them again for-”

“Yes, but you can’t change what happens,” he frowned.  “Trust me, I’ve tried. No matter when I get there, the fight always breaks out, and it happens, anyway.”

Link sighed, looking back to Zelda’s eyes.  He leaned close to kiss her again and Zelda melted into him, her forehead pressing against his, fingers tight in his hair as desire thread warm tendrils through her belly.

“May I call on you this evening?” Link breathed. He was still concerned about how others would see their relationship, the Princess of Hyrule being courted by a peasant, but she assured him she’d long ago rejected any traditional notions of courting, telling her father not to send for any suitors because there was only man she would have: the hero who’d saved them both.

“I was actually going to ask you if you’d join me for dinner,” she said.  “My friends Honey and Gillan have been asking to see me for some time now.”

Link nodded, though there was a bit of nervousness in his eyes.  “I’m not sure I have anything formal-”

“It’s casual,” Zelda said.  “This is not a formal dinner.  This is friends cooking together and having a nice conversation.  Well, they’ll be cooking. I… don’t know how,” she admitted with a laugh.

Link grinned, leaning forward to kiss her again.  “I’ll teach you sometime.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Link arrived back at the castle at sunset, looking smart in her favorite green tunic.  He offered her his arm as they walked across the grounds towards the apartments where Honey and Gillan were waiting for them.  Gillan spied them first when they walked in, observing Link with a curious interest as though he’d seen him somewhere before.

“So, this is the elusive boyfriend I’ve heard so much about,” Honey mused as she stepped around Gillan, wiping her hands on a towel before slinging it over her shoulder.  Zelda smiled and gestured to her.

“Link, this is Honey, she’s the daughter of one of my father’s guards and a very close friend,” Zelda said, watching as Honey examined Link then held pulled him in for a quick kiss on the cheek.  Gillan was watching, still studying Link with and almost scrutinizing, judgemental eye. “This is her partner, Gillan, who is a Knight so... perhaps you two have met?”

“We haven’t, unfortunately,” Link said, offering his hand. “Gillan?”

“Short for Gilleasbuig,” Gillan explained, laughing when Link’s eyebrows lifted.  “Don’t worry, you don’t ever have to say it again.”

“Might be a good thing,” Link chuckled.  

“Link, it’s very nice to meet you,” Honey said emphasizing each word.

“Nah, we didn’t really _want_ to meet you,” Gillan teased.  “But we guessed it might be the chance we had at seeing Zelda anytime soon.”

“Please ignore him, I only keep him around to hunt and lift heavy objects,” Honey said with an exasperated yet fond sigh.  “Would you like some wine, Link?”

“No, thank you.”

“Some water?”

“Sure, water would be fine, thanks,” Link agreed, squeezing Zelda’s hand when she laced her fingers through his.  They followed Gillan and Honey back to the kitchen, Zelda watching as Link jumped in to help prepare supper. It wasn’t long before everything was finished and they sat down to eat, Honey peppering Link with questions about his day-to-day life in castle town and his work on the ranch.

“I imagine Robon would have you working with the horses as much experience as you have,” Honey commented.

“I work with them some, but they haven’t brought in any yearlings recently.  I’ve told him if he needs a trainer I’ll be happy to help,” Link said, watching Zelda gather up the plates with a small frown.  She winked at him and walked back to the kitchen to wash up, happy that Impa had insisted on teaching her some practical skills as a child and remind her that washing dishes was not a task beneath her.  Gillan followed her carrying some cups, setting them on the counter as Zelda began filling the sink.

“So, I’ve seen him before,” he said a little too casually.

“I thought you might have.  He’s training under Caelan and getting closer to Knighthood."

“No, no… not there.  I know him from town,” Gillan said lowering his voice.  “He’s that guy I warned you about, that I warned Honey about before we started dating.  I’ve seen him all over castle town, drinking like a fish and trying to fuck anything that moves.”

Zelda blanched at this, the bluntness in his words.  “Who exactly? Have you met these women-”

“Not personally, they were travelers passing through.  He’s rough on them, leaves them hung up to dry if they hang around longer than a few days.”

Zelda frowned at Gillan.  She couldn’t imagine Link being rough on anyone, especially a woman.  Gillan was protective, but there was a hint of jealousy in his tone, whether it was over Link’s supposed activities or the fact that Zelda was with him she wasn’t sure.  

“He had a life before we were together, yes, but none of it concerns me now,” she said firmly, as Honey came in carrying the rest of the plates.  Gillan looked as though he wanted to say more, but quieted when he saw the smile on Honey's face.

“You didn’t tell me how cute he was,” she murmured, laughing when Gillan rolled his eyes.  

“He’s not that cute, and he doesn’t say much either.  What did we get out of him besides that he’s a ranch hand turned soldier?” he scoffed looking from Honey to Zelda, who frowned at this.

“Perhaps if you stopped _interrogating_ him and asked nicely - ”

“I’ve known you for five years, Honey’s known you for longer.  All this time you’ve never had a suitor. Now suddenly you find him wandering around the village and spend every minute you can with him?” Gillan asked.  “I don’t see what the draw is.”

“Oh, leave her be,” Honey said.  “She gets lonely like the rest of us, even surrounded by Knights all day.  Did you think she was going to escape wanting a partner? She'll need a consort if she's to be queen someday.”

“I still don’t think he’s that cute,” Gillan repeated as Honey passed, smirking at her when she glowered at him.  “And I’m a pretty good judge of what’s cute or not.”

Honey narrowed her eyes for a moment, then leaned up to kiss Gillan on the lips.  Zelda rolled her eyes but smiled, rinsing off one of the last plates before wiping her hands and returning to the dining area to see what Link was up to.  To her surprise she found him on one knee, the small bag she’d brought with her by his side, her journal on the floor in front of him open.

“Are you reading my journal?” she asked, shocked.  Link immediately looked up and flipped the book shut, his cheeks going faintly pink.

“Your bag fell on the floor and it... spilled out,” he said.  “I wasn’t… reading it, I only-”

“It very much looked like you were reading it,” Zelda scoffed, taking the book from his hand and pushing it deep into her bag.  “I told you that was private.”

Link grimaced.  “I was looking for… for dates.  That I go to see you, so I could… tell the little girl in the courtyard when I’m coming to see her,” he explained.  “If I’m that important to her I don’t… I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

He flinched, shaking his head, looking incredibly ashamed under her gaze.  “Din curse me, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m sorry, Zelda. I should leave.”

Zelda pressed her lips together, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it gently.  “No, I’d like you to stay,” she breathed, pulling him close and putting an arm around his waist.  “There are far worse things than wanting an impatient little girl to not have to wait.”

Link pressed his face into her hair and his lips to the crown of her head before he pulled away, resuming a less intimate stance by her side.  Honey and Gillan walked back in carrying a pie they’d saved for dessert, each of them eating a slice before Zelda said it was time they were off. She and Link were pulling on cloaks when Zelda noticed Link looking curiously at Gillan now instead of the other way around.

“Are you sure we haven’t met?  Or seen each other before?” he asked almost cautiously.

“Yeah, it hit me during dinner. I have seen you,” Gillan said, with a smirk.  “I’ve seen you in the sparring yard, but also in Mido’s quite often. For a long time with a pretty ginger girl, she left with you a lot.  Didn’t you say the rancher’s daughter was a red-haired girl?”

Link tensed and Zelda frowned, suspecting the comment was meant more for her than curiosity over Link’s company.  Honey rolled her eyes and put her arm around Gillan’s waist. “Good night, Zelda. It was lovely to meet you, Link. We hope to see you again soon.”

Link nodded, obeying Zelda’s insistent tugging as she wished both of them a good night and he nodded in return.  They were halfway down the path from the apartments when Link turned to her, apology writ into his features.  Zelda held up her hands.

“Please don’t worry about him.  Honey worries, but she’s quieter. Gillan is loud about it.  He will be fine,” Zelda said.

Link nodded.  “I am not hiding anything from you.  You can ask me anything you like about-”

“I don’t think you are hiding anything, Link,” she said, pulling his arm around her waist as they walked.  He glanced at the castle briefly but Zelda shook her head.

“I’d rather return to your flat if I am welcome,” she murmured, turning to kiss his shoulder.  

“You are always welcome,” Link grinned, kissing her hair softly as they walked back into town.

* * *

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*  
_80 Ordon, Hylian Calendar 1736.  Link_ of _Kokiri, Age 32_

* * *

 

There was a crowd around him, simultaneously cheering and jeering as Link stood toe to toe with a man a little taller than he was.  The man swung his fist in Link’s direction but he was too quick, dodging it to lunge forward and punch him hard in the stomach, making him hunch over, then in the face, sending him reeling back.

“Kick the traitor's ass!   _Sand Licker_!” someone was shouting, most likely referring to the clothing Link was wearing, a loose-fitting sirwal and Gerudo top that barely covered his broad chest.  

Link threw an elbow backward into the heckler before turning back to his main opponent, a man who’d seized him by the hair and shoved him into the wall after seeing how he was dressed.  The man lunged but Link sidestepped, gripping his attacker by the shoulder and putting a knee in his gut before throwing him against the wall. Link was about to throw down another punch when someone seized him by the arm.

“ _Hey_!  Break it up! Break it -   _Link_?!”

Link whirled around to see the familiar sight of a Knight’s tunic, though the trousers and boots he wore were casual ones.  “Gillan," he said in surprise.

“What the hell are you doing?  What… what happened to your _eye_?” Gillan asked incredulously as the man Link had been fighting struggled to his feet.  

“Goddess damned bigot!” Link shouted, lunging at the man as he ran off.  The crowd closed in, but Gillan stepped in front of Link, hand on the blade of his sword as he examined him with a nonplussed expression.  

“What… what are you wearing?”

“What day is it?” Link asked.

“What do you mean what day is it?”

“What’s the year?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nevermind, I’ve gotta get some clothes,” Link scoffed, walking down the alleyway to where the spare Knight uniforms were kept.

“Is the crop top isn’t working out for you? Or is the pants? Why are you wearing Gerudo clothes?”

“A merchant was kind enough to take pity on me when she saw me naked. I’ve been walking a day to get here,” he explained.

“Did you lose your eye along the way?  What the hell happened? What do you think you’re doing?”

“Picking a lock,” Link said matter-of-factly as he pried open the armory door.  “Close the door behind you.”

Gillan obeyed, still utterly perplexed.  “Are you… I realize the Gerudo use all kinds of remedies for things, but I also know you’re no stranger to pushing your limits.  Did they give you something to make you crazy? Are you drunk?”

“Not at all.”

“If Robon finds out you’re out carousing like this your knighthood is out the window.  Zelda would be-”

“I’m not carousing and you’re not going to tell Robon a thing,” Link said flatly.

“The hell I’m not.  I don’t give a shit about you but I care about Zelda,” Gillan said angrily.  “She’s going to be Queen and there’s no way in hell-”

“So, she’s not Queen yet, so that means its before 1737 right?”

“How the _hell_ do you not know what the year is?” Gillan asked.  “You’d better tell me what this is all about right now or I swear to Nayru I will-”

“You want to know?  Okay, I’ll tell you,” Link said, as he finished pulling on sparring clothes he’d found buried in the back of the armory.  “You and I are gonna be friends for a long time, so let me buy you a drink.”

Gillan followed reluctantly as Link walked out of the armory and back through the alley into Mido’s tavern.  Inside he walked straight to the back, sitting down at the farthest table from the door while Gillan slowly lowered himself into the chair across from him.  A server came and Link gestured to Gillan, who ordered a mug of ale that Link paid for on the spot.

“You’re not drinking?” he asked.

“I don’t drink anymore,” Link replied.  

Gillan scoffed.  “That's a change.  I’ve seen you in here more than once with some traveler or that redhead downing liquor like it was water.”

“That was before,” Link said.  “And the redhead is Malon. She’s a fine woman.”

“I gathered that much the number of times you left with her.  Zelda aware of that?”

“Zelda knows what Zelda wants to know.  I don’t keep anything from her.”

“Not even your fashion choices?  Or trips to the desert? Or how about this missing eye, can we talk about that?” Gillan demanded, gesturing to the right side of Link’s face.  

Link ran his fingers over the scar.  It didn’t hurt anymore, he’d lost it so long ago, though it was after the year he was currently stuck in.  “That’s not the only thing different. Look at me, I look a bit older, right?” he asked, gesturing to the hardness to his cheeks, the sharpness of his jaw, and the tired look in his good eye.  

“Your hair is… different I guess.  But that’s nothing compared to the-”

“To the eye, I know,” Link laughed.  “This happened five years ago for me, but it hasn’t happened yet for you.  You’ll be there when it happens, actually.”

“I’ll… be there?  What are you saying it… you need to tell me what is going on.  Honey tells me Zelda used to talk about you way back when they first met.  When she was just twelve. But you two only met last spring? How-”

“I’m a time traveler,” Link said.  “I’ve come back to tonight from 1743.”

Gillan blinked at him for a few seconds, then broke out laughing.  “Nayru, help us all. You are out of your goddess damned mind.”

“It started when I was five years old, I was caught up in the last battle of the Hylian Civil War and I jumped backward then forward again in time.  It’s been happening ever since.”

“If you’ve come back from 1743, I’d have thought you’d be better prepared.”

“I don’t know when I’m going to travel, I don’t have… control over it, and I can’t bring anything with me.  I arrive naked, I have to steal or beg for clothing and food, take shelter wherever I can find it. Sometimes I’m in a place for a minute, sometimes days or weeks.”

“How is that - how do you hold a job or… court a princess?  I don’t like this. There’s something very wrong with you.”

“You’re right, and I don’t like it either.  I don’t know how I manage to court a princess, but I do, and I care about Zelda more than anything on this earth,” Link said sincerely.

Gillan looked skeptical.  “Right, I’m reassured. Does Zelda even know?”

“Of course she knows.  How do you think we met?”

“I’m not… so hey, in the future is Zelda Queen?  Is Honey her handmaid or is she part of her camarilla?  Don’t tell me you’re the King… Do Honey and I get married?  Do we have children? Do I go bald? Does she go bald?”

“Oh no.  I’m not going to tell you things about your life, Gillan,” Link said, sitting back in his chair and running a hand through his hair.  “Knowing things ahead of time can drive you mad.”

“You’re full of horseshit, you know that?”

Link laughed ruefully.  “Perhaps, but you won’t think that in a moment.”

“Oh, and why’s that?” Gillan asked, watching Link lay another ten rupees on the table.

“For another drink when I’m gone,” Link grinned, then he sighed and faded, leaving behind a heap of sparring clothing on the chair across from Gillan.

* * *

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
_The following morning, 81 Ordon, Hylian Calendar 1736._  
_Princess Zelda_ Besidia _age 20_

* * *

 

Zelda was in her study when the knock came.  She relished the sound, glad to put down her history books for a minute.  On the other side stood Gillan in full knight regalia. He gave her a quick bow before allowing himself inside.

“Won’t you please come in?” she laughed.  “The other knights tend to ask permission first.”

“Does Link ask permission?”

“Link isn’t a Knight yet.  Soon though. And I expect he would he’s so gentlemanly.”

Gillan scoffed which made Zelda tip her head. “Oh yes, he’s a right gentleman.  Let me tell you how I saw him being a gentleman last night. He paid for two of my drinks, so I suppose that was nice, but this was after we broke into the armory, and after he beat up some race haters in the alley behind Mido’s.  Did I mention he was wearing Gerudo clothing? Oh, and that he was _missing_ an _eye_?”

Zelda sighed and looked towards the floor, scuffing the stone floor casually.  “Did he mention how old he was?”

“Said he… traveled from 1743.”

“So 32,” she sighed.  “He loses it by then.”

“You’ve seen him without an eye before?”  Gillan blanched.

Zelda nodded.  “Until I met him that day in the bookshop, I’d never seen him with both eyes, save for when we were children.”

“You… Link… that’s the same Link?” Gillan asked incredulously.  “The Hero? The one who disappeared after-”

“The same, but he… he has no memory of helping us, no memory of being the Hero.  Not yet anyway.”

“Not yet.”

“He’s going to get it back someday."

Gillan shook his head and stepped closer to her.  “Don’t marry him, Zelda. Don’t.”

“He hasn’t asked me yet.”

“You know what I’m saying!”

Zelda shrugged and smiled, folding her hands together and examining her empty ring finger.  “Gillan, I love him.”

“He’s a damned… he’s a _time traveler_.”

“So he told you.”

“He kind of had to after I watched him beat up a civilian and rob the royal armory,” Gillan scoffed.

“Do you believe him?”

“I… not really. Until he vanished right in front of my eyes.  He just… vanished.”

“Yes, it can… make things difficult.”

“He told me you knew and… I didn’t want to believe it.  You _knew_?”

“I’ve known for a very long time.”

Gillan blew out a long sigh and ran a hand through his blond hair.  “All right, let’s… let’s assume we’re not all crazy. What Link has? It’s not good. It’s not good for you, it’s not good for the kingdom.”

“Without him, we wouldn’t have a kingdom,” Zelda said.  “He is the Hero. He has the mark. I’ve seen it sometimes when he’s sleeping.”

“Even still, that doesn’t mean that you-”

“Gillan, I have waited my whole life for him.  My entire life has revolved around his appearances.  And now he’s here, for real, with me… wanting me, holding me, loving me.  It’s already happened,” Zelda sighed. “I couldn’t do a thing to change it even if I wanted to.”

“What if you _did_ want to?” Gillan asked, giving her a pointed look.

Zelda shook her head, guilt gnawing at her chest.  Nothing had changed, even since Gillan started courting Honey officially.  She had a feeling Honey suspected it as well but knew Zelda had no desire to reciprocate his feelings.  Her heart belonged to Link, it always had.

“I don’t, though. I never will.”

Gillan sighed, giving Zelda a sad little smile.  “Well, you’re worse off than I thought.”

Zelda laughed, thinking about the fact that it had been two days since she’d seen Link.  He wasn’t in his flat and he hadn’t been to training or to the ranch that she knew of. She was worried about him as she always was when he was gone.  It was expected, he’d even told her it would happen, but it still caught her off guard and made it seem as though she’d been holding her breath since the moment he left, unable to release it until his arms were around her again.

“Perhaps I am,” she agreed, chuckling as Gillan started to laugh in earnest.

* * *

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*  
_1 Lanayru, Hylian Calendar 1736.  
Princess Zelda Besidia age 20, Link of Kokiri age 25, Prince Consort Link, Age 35._

* * *

 

The winter solstice festival was a town favorite despite the cold, and it was the first event Link would be attending as a Knight of Hyrule, _her_ knight to be precise.  After meeting Link for the second time and going through a recount of his heroic events, Zelda’s father had approved of their courtship and removed the other two knights from detail around Zelda, trusting her safety to Link and Impa alone.  Link had been pleased because it meant more time together, and Impa complied for she trusted Link, but was wary of his absences, though they’d been few as of late.

“You have trained me so well that if I found myself in a situation where I was alone and under threat, I could get myself back to the safety of the castle with ease,” Zelda reminded Impa.  “Do not doubt the training you have given me.”

“You make a point, Princess, but I still prefer him present than for you to rely on yourself.”

“So do I,” Zelda had agreed, thinking to herself that Link would never choose to leave her.  He never chose _her_ , she supposed, and she never chose him. It was fate in many ways, their paths were perpetually intertwined like blanket strings sewn together.  They separated as other strings overlapped, but they always came together again. How could their love be a mistake?

The festival had been a happy one, the coming of a new year was always something to celebrate.  Zelda had stood beside her father while he gave a blessing and prayed to the goddesses for rich fields and friendships.  She knew the prayer by heart so it was easy to stand by and watch Link beside her, taking the time to appreciate him in his royal armor. When the ceremony was over Zelda wandered down beside him and stared until he blushed.  She pulled him down to whisper in his ear.

“You look dashing in that.  I can’t wait to get it off you, though.”

Her words had the desired effect and Zelda laughed when Link widened his eyes and choked out a laugh.  “I’m a Knight now, would you expect me to behave so unchivalrously?”

“I’m the one misbehaving, not you,” she purred, before walking away to greet the ambassadors in attendance. They’d come from all corners of the kingdom and she saw this as a good opportunity to make contacts and formally introduce herself as Princess of Hyrule rather than daughter of the King.  Link had told her she’d be crowned at age twenty-two, this was just a year away from now and it was never too soon to foster relationships. Though despite her years of diplomacy training, Zelda found herself nervous as conversations began, but surprisingly not due to failings on her part. It was because of Link.

“That Knight you were speaking with,” Lord Darunia said as he stroked his forked beard.  “I’ve seen him before, but he was smaller. Is that… is that _Link_?  The Link who aided us with the Dodongo’s so many years before.”

Zelda grimaced.  “It is, yes. But-”

“Din be praised.  I’ve wanted to see him for ages, and now he’s a knight!  Well done, Princess, at finding him again. I’m going to go reintroduce myself. I’ve named my son after him and-”

“Lord Darunia, I… Please, by all means go and introduce yourself, but you should be aware,” she said with a somber voice.  “Link… he has amnesia.”

Lord Darunia tilted his large rocky head.  “Amnesia?”

“He doesn’t remember anything for around… three years of his childhood.  When I met him again he didn’t recognize me, he doesn’t remember helping the Kingdom out, all of it is lost.”

“That’s… doesn't he remember any of it? We’re sworn brothers, he’s a brother to all of us just like your father…”

“I understand and… He knows there are things he doesn’t remember, and it pains him.  I would only ask that you be aware of this and accept his apology if he isn’t familiar with your face.”

Darunia nodded.  “I suppose… with the way that child fought, such unimaginable strength, he probably took a one too many hits to the head.  Oh well, a brother is a brother even without their memory,” he shrugged, giving the princess a toothy smile before strolling over to where Link was standing with Gillan.  

That wasn’t the only time that Link’s memory, or lack of one, would plague her that day.  When speaking to Princess Ruto of the Zora, Zelda was surprised to discover that she’d offended her by keeping so close to Link and holding his hand at one point.

“First this child shows up at the domain and announces he’s come to take our Spiritual Stone, and then after he saves me - he _saved me_ \- he up and vanishes.  I gave him our engagement prize, and he took it and left!  I’d been waiting for my fiance to return for fourteen years and when I finally saw him again, he was in the arms random travelers to our domain, then forever with some giggling redhead.  And now he’s with you? What kind of man trades women like-”

“Princess, you must understand,” Zelda said placatingly, the image of Link with his arms around some faceless stranger  Link has no memory-”

“Amnesia does not replace a vow, your highness.  This is treason. It is-”

A sultry chuckled echoed from behind Ruto and both the Zora and Zelda turned to the source.  A Gerudo woman, tall and muscular with a high ponytail walked out from under the awning above the tavern.  She looked appraisingly at Zelda before turning to the Zora Princess.

“You plan to hold an amnesiac to a supposed vow he made when he was eleven?  Eleven years old is a _child_.  I understand that Zora notions of childhood are different, but at eleven how mature are you really?”

Ruto frowned.  “May I ask who you are?  I was under the impression the Gerudo were in open rebellion against the crown.”

“Half of us are, the other half are have decided that our King apparent does not deserve the throne, title, or any of our loyalty,” she mused, looking specifically at Zelda.  “Nabooru, Your Highness. Your Father knows me.”

“He’s… he’s mentioned you.  I am… I am glad you are here.  Are you the only-”

“I am.  We’re a suspicious people, you understand.  But your father extended us an invitation.  It seemed prudent to respond,” Nabooru said.  “He would very much like my people to become part of your kingdom, how do you feel about that, Princess?”

“I agree with him.  We have always had great respect for your traditions and the value you would bring to Hyrule.  I know your people have had to survive by thieving but if you were a part of the Kingdom, you could share-”

“I’m sorry, we weren’t having a discussion of politics right now,” Ruto interrupted.  “We were having a discussion on what to do about my womanizing fiance.”

Nabooru scoffed.  “I mean no offense, Zora Princess, but spare me.  Did he accept your proposal? Did this eleven-year-old child make a verbal statement of commitment to you?”

“He… did not,” Ruto admitted, going a little pale in her cheeks.  “But that stone has belonged to my people for an age. It has been passed from princess or prince to suitor since long before we were part of Hyrule.  I can’t-”

“I understand the value of heirlooms, and I know what it is like to have something of value taken from you, but you must trust me when I say that stone is better in the hands of the sages than in the hands of individual kingdoms,” Nabooru affirmed.

Ruto rallied at this.  “Are you underestimating my people’s ability to protect our artifacts?  To protect our kingdom?”

“Not at all.  But I believe _you_ are underestimating the threat it was under,” Nabooru said.  “But that is for another time. This man you speak of, I met him as well as a child.  He snuck into my temple for me to steal some gauntlets, but by the time he returned I’d had to flee to avoid capture from… nevermind who from,” she said, waving off Zelda’s look of concern.  “My point is, he made no verbal vow to you or to me, and you cannot hold him to the traditions of your people when he is not your people. Aside from that, he was a child. He is a man now.”

Nabooru looked at Link appraisingly and Zelda followed her gaze, watching as he spoke to an angry looking woman with dark brown hair, arms folded across his chest and expression calm.   _Another conquest?  A pair of arms to keep you warm?_ Zelda thought despite her better judgment.

“Though,” Nabooru chuckled. “I am surprised he’s shaped up enough to be Knighted.  I’ve seen him outside of our town a few times and in various spots throughout the kingdom.  He’s never been one to turn down a bed and a pair of arms for the night, but I expect he was delighted to find himself in yours, Princess,” Nabooru said with a wink.

Ruto huffed and gave Zelda almost a sympathetic look.  “Well, he may be a Knight now, but the trouble he brought to the Kingdom, and the frivolity of his affections...  He sounds like he brings with him nothing but bad news,” she mused. “Though, I suppose… he’s your bad news now., your highness.”

She gave Zelda a sneering smile and a small bow before returning to her retinue while Nabooru smirked and patted Zelda’s arm placatingly.  “Tell your father I said Hello, and if he wishes to persuade my sisters at arms to his cause, he should send you in his stead.”

She walked away, and Zelda knew she should seize the opportunity to bring the Gerudo into the fold of her kingdom, but her heart pounding too hard to focus.  His eleven-year-old self aside, what other promises had Link made, and to whom, before he’d started making them to her?

Zelda ran through the crowd, seeking shelter in an alley behind the apartment complex where Link lived, pressing her back against the wall and her face into her hands.  She held back the sobs, unsure of why they were so close to the surface. Link said to her she could ask him anything, but at the time she’d had nothing to ask. Or maybe there was nothing she _wanted_ to know.

But now she knew whether she wanted to or not. It shouldn’t surprise her, this feeling of unwanted knowledge, it wasn't the first time, and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. But what to do with the information.  Should she demand an explanation? Should she be angry? Part of her wished she could speak with this Link that Nabooru and Ruto seemed to know. That she could jump to a year ago and find him, beg him to wait for her, tell her how anxious she was to meet him, be the arms he apparently longed for…

Zelda stood up taller when a city guard approached her, wanting to remain as dignified as possible, though her attempts were futile when the guard removed his helmet to reveal an ashy-blond man with a scar over his right eye.  Unless Link had lost that eye in the last hour or so, Zelda realized she was looking at the man she’d spent so many hours with in that courtyard. Tears spilled from her eyes and she flung herself at him, clinging to the hard metal of his chest plate.

“‘I worried I’d lost you,” Link breathed.  

“I’ve _missed_ you so,” Zelda sobbed.

“We’ve been together, Zelda, almost continually for the last-”

“I know, I know but…” she sputtered, looking up at him, pressing a hand against his cheek.  He was older, that was certain, though she didn’t know how much older. “You’re not _you_ , yet.  You’re… different somehow. You…”

She pushed Link away, feeling manipulated, almost violated.  “You bastard. You’re here now telling me you’re worried you lost me? Are you  trying to distract from the _infamous_ behavior that everyone in the kingdom seems to-”

“What behavior?” Link said fairly.  “Zelda, I wasn’t aware you existed. I had no idea and was unhappily coveting anyone who would have me.  The day I met you, Malon came to see me and I-”

“Who is Malon?”

“The rancher’s daughter.  The redhead,” Link explained.  “She came to see me that afternoon, wanting to patch things up between us, and I told her no.  I refused her because I knew _you_ were waiting.  I cannot… retroactively be held accountable for the things I did before our time together.  Before I knew you wanted me.”

Zelda wiped her cheeks.  “She said-”

“Who said?”

“The Princess of the Zora, Ruto.  She said she was engaged to you and-”

“I was eleven when I took that stone,” Link said firmly.  “And I did it for _you_.”

Zelda quelled but then the image of Link in someone else’s arms jumped unbidden into her mind again.  “Even so, she and Nabooru both said you… you philander around. Never turning down a bed or a pair of arms for the night.  And Gillan said you drink like a fish and... fuck anything that moves.”

Link exhaled slowly.  “Some of that is true, yes.  And I told you… you could ask me about any of it.”

“I’m asking now,” Zelda said.

“You’re not asking _me_.”

Zelda huffed.  “Semantics.”

Link sighed.  “Before I met you, yes, I did drink rather often.  And I did… 'fuck around' to use Gillan’s words. I was damned, and desperate, and lonely.  There were a lot of women because I never met any I wanted to keep, or any who would want to keep me after I disappeared on them for a day or two.  I never met anyone patient enough to... tame me.”

Zelda gazed up at him and Link’s expression softened.  He sighed and cradled her cheek. “You must understand. When I met you, I was a wreck.  I thought I was doomed to wander aimlessly, with no real home to turn to and nothing to live for,” he explained.  “But then you walked into that bookstore and I saw your eyes, and since then I have been slowly, painstakingly trying to pull myself together, and I have been trying to do it without your notice because I am still... so in awe of you that I haven’t realized pretense is useless between us.  There is a long road between the me you’re dealing with here and now, and the me talking to you from 1746. I will get there, but I cannot do it alone.”

“It’s… It’s just hard.  I’m a diplomat, Link. I’m a Princess.  I’ve never been a… teacher.”

Link chuckled.  “Neither have I.  But two days ago I spent six hours in the courtyard with you listening to you explain to me the mechanics of the stars, the mystics of Shiekah magic, and teaching you Old Hylan because your father said you couldn’t learn it until you were closer to being Queen.  You can curse at me now under your breath in the language because I sat there and taught it to you.”

Zelda felt sheepish for being so quick to anger, so unappreciative of the unseen effort Link had put in since they’d met in real life, and all the effort after that.  “I would gather, however, that it is easier to teach lessons than it is to teach someone how to be happy.”

“But you are what makes me happy, it’s accepting and living up to being happy that can be difficult at times,” Link said, gently twirling a lock of Zelda’s hair.  He leaned down to plant a single, chaste kiss on her lips, a warm and fond smile on his face.

“I’m going to return you to that fool in the square.  While you have been here with me, he has been pacing in circles and scanning the crowd, beside himself with worry as he wonders where you are.”

Zelda nodded, watching her Link of the future don the guard helmet he’d procured and escort her back to the revelry in the square.  It wasn't five minutes before they found her Link of the present, and when he spotted Zelda he practically ran across the square to be by her side.  She stepped forward to close the distance, giving one last glance behind her as older Link disappeared into the crowd and her Link embraced her tightly.

“I thought I lost you,” Link whispered into her neck, repeating himself with different words.  Link kept a hand along her cheek when Zelda pulled back, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence here and now, choosing her, and knighthood, and castle life despite the multitudes of easier paths he could have taken.

Zelda smiled and forgot the surrounding crowd, all the people surely watching as this random knight embraced their Princess.  “Never. You could never lose me,” she smiled before pulling his lips to hers.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I appreciate it a ton, I know I say that a lot but I mean it. Any feedback is appreciated since this is mostly self-edited and I'm always looking to improve. Comments about where the story is going are welcome as well as I can use them for planning.


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